Inking device for marking machines



0f-t. 21 1924e 1,512,300

L. NEUENSCHWANDER INKING DEVICE FOR MA'RKNG MACHINES Filed Aug. 29. 19'21 2 sheets-snaai 1 w l f fr 'C l mais WITNESS INI/'ENTOIgV ATTORNEYS 1 1,512,300v L. NEUENSCHWANDER INKING DEVICE FOR MARKING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Shes t 2 Filed Aug` 29'. 1921 A S wha/T Patented Get. 21, 1924.

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LEWIS NEUENSCHWANDER, OF LO'S ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 ELECTRIC FRUIT MARKING CO., OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALI- FORNIA.

NKNG DEVICE FOR MARKING MACHINES;

Application filed August 29, 1921. Serial No. 496,206.5

To all whom t 'may concern.'

Be it known that l, Lnwrs NnUnNsoHwAN- DER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles7 and State of California, have invented a new and useful lnkingDevice for Marking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for ink* ing dies.

The broad object of my invention is to provide improved means lfor inking the marking dies of my electric fruit marking machine which is the subject of my copendn ing application Serial Number 451,780.

The invention possesses other features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of my invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and Vforming a part of the specification. It is to be understood that I do-not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawings and descriptioinas I may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of my invention as set Vforth in the claims.

Referring to the drawing: Fig. 'l is a front elevation of a portion of the machine in which my inking device is incorporated. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the machine, the plane of section being indicated bythe line 2 2 of `Eig. l. Fig. 3 is a side elevation in a larger scale of the inking pad arm, and die wheel. The plane in which the view is taken is indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. l. A quadruple marking machine is shown in the drawings, that is, one in which there are four sets of dies with inking means for all, so that four pieces of fruit are marked simultaneously. Parts of the machine not directly related to the present invention are omitted. It is ofcourse obvious that the inking device'may be built for any desired number, of dies. K

Journalled in bearings arranged in the vertical frame members 2 and 3 is a die shaft 4L. Annular flanges 6 are arranged on the shaft, and dies 7 'are attached to the periphery of the flanges.

Means are provided for rotating the die shaft intermittently to present the dies on each flange successively at a predetermined operating station where they remain fixedA for a moment while the fruit'passes over them.. The outer end of the die shaft at one side of the machine is connected by Geneva gears with cam shaft ll,driven by suitable gearing 8 connecting it with .the pulley 21 driven by belt from any suitable source of power. lVith each full revolution of the shaft 1l the die shaft is turned thru one step of itsintermittent motion and then held stationary for a moment. i

Arranged on the frame of the machine is a table 22 over whichV the fruit passes as it is being marked. The table is formed with ridges 23 dividing it into troughs extending across the top of each die wheel. rIhe bot tom of the trough is cut away over the dies, so that when the die wheel rotates, each die successively movesv upwardly into the trough and comes to rest with its face projecting a small amount above the bottom, so that each piece of fruit .rolling through the trough contacts with the die and is marked. `Means are provided for feeding a succession 0f pieces of fruit uponv the table and flang-e.- Mounted in each arm 32 is a roller 8S engaged by a cam 34 fixed on the shaft l1. Each roller 33 is resiliently retained against its cam by a torsion spring 36, interposed between the hub of the arm 32 and the collar 37 adjustably fixed on the shaft 8l.

Thus, with rotation of shaft 1'1 the pad arms are rocked, the springs 36 raising the ends of the pad arms to pressthe ribbon against the die then directly above the ribbon', and after a momentary contact the cam forces the pad arm down. The timing of the cams is such that the contact of the ribbon withVV the dies is effected during the periods of rest of the die shaft and it will be seen that each die is freshly inked for each contact with the fruit.

y In order to insure even inking of the 'arms' 32, one extending out below each die 4,

die, the end of each pad arm is provided with a pad 38, preferably made of conformable material such as composition cork, held in the channel 39 which is resiliently mounted on the plate 41 by means of studs 42 surrounded by springs 43. The plate is removably connected tothe pad `arm by a thumb screw 44. Thus the resiliently mounted pad evenly presses the ribbon upon the whole surface of the die irrespective of small defects in alinement of the parts.

The spools 26 and 27 are each mounted on a shaft 45 near the other end of which is rotatably mounted a worm wheel 46 engaging a worm 47 on the shaft 48, which is driven by gears 49 driven by gearing 8. @ne of the worms 47 is right hand and one left hand. A pin clutch 5l disposed on each spool shaft provides means for coupling the spool shaft to the associated worm wheel. rl`he clutches are controlled by yokes 52 on the ends of lever 53 pivoted at its center on the frame of the machine and provided with a handle 54 wherewith one or the other of the clutches may be engaged, so that the ribbon may be fed in either di rection. The ribbon is fed very slowly across the pad arms and is long enough for a days run, so that only an occasional shifting of the clutches is required. j

/Vhile I have herein described my ink ing device as embodied in a fruit marking machine, it is to be understood that it may be applied to dies in machines for marking other articles.

I claim:

v l. The combination with a plurality of dies successively movable to a fixed operative position of an inking ribbon, fixed supports for holding said ribbon adjacent said dies, and means for pressing the ribbon against each die before it moves to said operative position.

2. The combination with a plurality of dies successively movable to a fixed operative position of an inking ribbon, spools journaled on fixed axes for holding` said ribbon adjacent said dies, and a resiliently mounted pad for pressing the ribbon against each die before it moves to said operative position.

In combination, a plurality of dies successively movable from inoperative to operative position, an inking ribbon, rollers journalled on fixed axes for guiding said ribbon in position adjacent said dies in their inoperative position, means for pressing lthe ribbon against each die in its inoperative position to ink the die, and means for lfeeding said-ribbon past said dies and for moving the inked die to operative position.

4. The combination with a plurality of dies successively movable to a fixed operative position of an inlring ribbon arranged adjacent said dies, means for pressing the ribbon against each die before it moves to said operative position, means for feeding said ribbon past said dies, and manually operated means for reversing the direction of said feeding.

5. ln combination, a plurality of dies successively movable to a fixed operative position, an inking ribbon arranged adjacent said dies, a spring pressed arm adapted to engage the side of said ribbon opposite the dies, and a cam acting in time with the movement of said dies for moving said arm whereby the ribbon is pressed against each die before it moves to operative position.

6. The combination with a plurality of dies successively movable to a fixed operative position of an inking ribbon arranged adjacent said dies, a spring-pressed arm extending adjacent the opposite side of said ribbon, a pad of conformable material resiliently arranged on said arm, and a cam acting in time with the movement of said dies for moving said arm whereby the ribbon is pressed against each die by said pad before it moves to operative position.

7. ln combination, a plurality of dies successively movable to a fixed operative position, an inking ribbon arranged adjacent said dies, a spring pressed arm adapted to engage the side of said ribbon opposite the dies, a cam acting in time with the movement of said dies for moving said arm whereby the ribbon is pressed against each die before it moves to operative position, and means for feeding said ribbon pastsaid dies. n w

8. The combination with a plurality of dies successively movable to a fixed operative position of an inking ribbon arranged adjacent said dies, a spring-pressed arm extending adjacent the Vopposite side of said ribbon, a pad of conformable material resiliently arranged on said arm, a cam acti* ing vin time with the movement of said dies for moving said arm whereby the ribbon is pressed against each die by said pad before it moves to operative position, and means for feeding said ribbon in either direction past said dies.

In testimony whereof, I have .hereunto set my hand,

LEWISl NEUEN SCHWANDER.

Mill 

